Plastic composition.



JOSEPH H. MILLS, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

PLASTIC COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24,1914.

Application filed July 19, 1909. Serial No. soaase.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. MILLS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, \Vaynecdunty,.Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful PlasticComposition, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful plastic composition designedfor various uses, particularly in the ornamenting and embellishing ofobjects or surfaces as an economical and eflicient substitute for woodencarvings and the like.

The principal advantage of my new composition resides not only inv itsplastic character and its consequent capability of being given theproper form or ornamentation by means of dies or the like, but also itsability to retain its plastic or semi-rigid character in order that itmay be shaped by hand or otherwise to the surface or contour of theobject to which it is to be applied.

My new plastic composition possesses other advantageous properties amongwhich may be named its tough and elastic character maintained under allconditions and forany length of time, with the result that it is enabled to adapt or conform itself to the expansions and contract-ions orshrinkages of the object to which it is applied,.and also permit nailsor the like to be driven therethrough without fracturing or crackingthecompounded by me, I employ resinous matter such as ordinary rosin, adrying veges table oil such as boiled linseed oil and a mineral fillersuch as whiting and in respect to the fibrous matter the same shouldbein a reduced or finely divided condition which is answered by sawdust. Iprefer to mix and combine these ingredients in the following proportionsby weight: rosin, twelve parts, linseed oil, one part and whiting thirtyparts.

lln the event that fibrous matter isto be employed, instead of themineral filler, I prefer to mix and combine the ingredients in thefollowing proportions by weight: rosin twelve parts, linseed oil onepart and sawdust five parts.

It will be understood that the proportions above given may be variedbetween certain elements according to the particular use of thecomposition or place of application or the particular degree of plasticcharacter required, but it will be found that the proportions of theingredients here given as the preferred ones will be found suitable andproper for most uses. The resulting composition is plastic in characterand may be bent or twisted by hand so as to conform it to the surface ofthe object or article to which it is to be applied, the compositionremaining in this plastic or semi-rigid condition and not hardening orbecoming brittle after a lapse of time or after exposure butnevertheless retaining a permanent set as to the ornamentation orconfiguration given it by dies or otherwise.

Referring to the use of the composition in the ornamentation of burialcaskets and speaking of the practice employed in this connection,without intending to limit myself to-such particular use, thecomposition may be employed or attached to the shell of thecasket-either directly or indirectly and in any suitable manner. Whenthe composi tion is attached directly to the shell I permit topreliminarily cover the same with the usual cloth which is to form thecovering of the casket the cloth being laid over the composition and adie thereupon pressing the cloth directly into the surface of thecomposition. Owing to the adhesive character of the composition and byreason of the fore-- ing of the nap of the cloth by the pressure of thedie into the surface of such composition,

the cloth will be securely affixed to the composition and moreoverpartake of the same ornamental design as is impressed on the compositionitself. The cloth, with the composition or series thereof on its innerside,

"is now glued or otherwise secured tothe shell. Also if desired thecomposition products may be directly secured to the shell of the casketin. suitable manner as by gluing or nailing or tacking, preferably bygluing,

and the same may be subsequently covered with the cloth. The elasticproperty of my composition permits this covering of the product by meansof the die, thecomposition yielding and permitting the cloth to bepressed into it Without any tearing or rupturing of such cloth. Thearticles thus employed or formed are both elastic and plastic incharacter and retain their original shape but are at all times capableof being bent or shaped to conform to the article or object to which itto be applied.

For the purpose of a clear understanding of the advantageous propertiesof my plastic composition I have thus chosen to describe it inconnection with one of its commercial

